All posts in Titleist

Titleist just introduced the next generation of its groundbreaking Advanced Performance irons: The 712 Series of their Titleist AP1 and AP2 irons. Both models are multi-material, dual cavity irons that provide modern ball flight and forgiveness with the traditional looks, feel and sound that serious golfers have come to expect from Titleist irons.

NEW ADVANCES IN THE 712 AP IRONS: The improvements incorporated into the new AP irons came about as the result of continued research that indicated that serious golfers were looking for improvements in three main areas.

First, most players wanted even greater refinements to the clubhead’s profile. Both the new AP1 and AP2 models feature sleeker contours that result in a better address position.

Players also expressed a desire for more forgiveness, to get more out of their miss-hits, or said another way, better distance control. Both the new AP1 and AP2 have been improved with internal weighting that utilizes higher density tungsten in order to distribute mass more efficiently which increases the moment-of-inertia (MOI) without changing the CG location or the blade length. The higher MOI provides more consistent ballspeed across the clubface and better distance control. Better distance control leads to more scoring opportunities and is the key to good iron play.

The third wish-list item that research uncovered was that players wanted more forgiveness without any loss of workability or shot control. Traditionally it has been thought that forgiveness and workability were mutually exclusive. The new AP irons prove that they are not.

Available beginning November 18, the 712 AP1 irons will have a suggested retail price of $112 per club/steel, and $135 per club/graphite. The 712 AP2 irons will have a suggested retail price of $154 per club/steel and $175 per club/graphite. You can learn more about Titleist irons here.

Titleist is quite proud of their Brand Ambassador Steve Stricker, who won last weekend at The Memorial Tournament. In the email blast the company sent it was a link to view his hole-in-one at Muirfield Village’s par-3 8th hole (his 17th hole of the day) during Round 2. It was named the No. 1 Top Play on “SportsCenter” on Friday. It was the Steve’s second-career PGA Tour ace.

The video, embedded below includes commentary from Jack Nicklaus. You can also watch Stricker fix his ball mark if you hang with it past the 2 minute mark. After the round, Steve signed the Pro V1x and gave it to his scorer for the round. Note: He had also birdied his final hole with the ball.

Today Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO) announced a definitive agreement for the sale of its Acushnet Company golf business, featuring the iconic Titleist and FootJoy brands, to a group led by Fila Korea Ltd., the owner of the Fila brand globally, and Mirae Asset Private Equity, the largest private equity firm in Korea. The purchase price is $1.225 billion in cash. Fortune Brands estimates it will realize net proceeds of approximately $1.1 billion after taxes and expenses.

Fortune Brands Golf Businesses

The press release states that Acushnet is the leading and most profitable golf equipment company in the world. Titleist is the #1 ball in golf and a leader in high-performance golf clubs. FootJoy is the #1 shoe and glove in golf and a leader in performance outerwear. Net sales exceeded $1.2 billion in 2010, with nearly half of revenues generated in markets outside the United States. Operating income before charges was $80 million in 2010, and operating income on a GAAP basis was $89 million.

The sale is expected to close this summer.

Plans to either sell or spin off the company had been in the works since late last year when Fortune Brands, which also owns a home and security business and a distilled spirits unit, approved a plan to divide the company into three distinct businesses. Wally Uihlein, chairman and chief executive officer of Acushnet Co., in a phone interview this morning with SouthCoast Today said there were many interested parties, but Fila Korea stood out from the beginning as good business men plus “they’re golfers.”

Fila Korea and its partners intend to run Acushnet Co. as a standalone entity and have made it clear that they are relying on the current management to continue operations, said Joe Nauman, Acushnet Co.’s executive vice president for corporate and legal affairs.

“This is not going to be a merger into Fila Korea,” said Nauman. “We’re going to have a new owner that is very much like the ownership under Fortune Brands. We’re stand-alone; we operate the business.”

Acushnet Co, the parent company of Titleist, said it has won a long-running patent battle with Carlsbad-based Callaway Golf over the popular Pro V1 golf ball. On Thursday, a U.S. District Judge in Delaware denied Callaway’s request for a new trial and officially closed the five-year-old case.

Callaway sued Acushnet, claiming that the Pro V1 violated four Callaway patents (these came from Callaway purchase of the Top Flite golf ball business from a bankrupt Spalding in 2003). Though initially, Callaway was victorious (partially) with the possibility of collecting nearly a quarter million dollars from past sales of Pro V1 balls, Acushnet appealed. Last year, a jury ruled that the four patents were invalid because they were not new. Callaway fought the ruling but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The Pro V1 ranks as the most popular high-performance ball in golf. An interesting point that probably worked to Acushnet’s favor was that the company introduced the Pro V1 ball to professional players in 2000 — well before before the patents in question were issued in 2001 and 2003.

When Brian Vokey and the team at Titleist introduced ‘WedgeWorks‘ last year, I was in awe. The online shop let you pick and choose from a lineup of custom wedges that you could tune and tailor to your liking. Add initials, adjust your loft, length, grip, and much more. The website (click here) is awesome to say the least, and in all honesty… if you’re not a Cleveland wedge fan (I am), Vokey wedges are a solid choice.

Well, for the longest time Canadians have been shunned from ordering from WedgeWorks. That is, until now. Titleist has just announced that Vokey WedgeWorks is now available in Canada.

Unfortunately, the order process isn’t exactly an easy one. Folks in the U.S. can simply go through the online customization process. It’s fun, easy, and I often find myself browsing around the site… you know, putting together custom wedges, and playing around with different options (it’s pretty darn cool). For Canadians (and other ‘international’ regions), an order form must be printed, filled out, and returned to your nearest Titleist golf club retailer. The retailer confirms your order, and returns the form to Titleist for fulfillment.

For more information, below are the order form and brochure PDF’s for your enjoyment.

You may be familiar with the series of “How do you mark your Titleist?” ads (see example below). Titleist just announced a promotion where no Sharpie is required.

Timed for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Titleist is waiving personalization charges on its popular Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls, as well as the new NXT Tour, NXT and DT SoLo models.

On any order of just one dozen or more, customers can create their unique personalized message imprinted on the golf ball in up to three lines of block text in black, blue, green or red ink for no additional charge.

During my first round with the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1 in-hand, I rolled about a 60 footer from off the green, straight into the heart of the cup. I knew from that point on that this short stick was going to enjoy an extended period in the bag… In fact, it’s been over a year since I first introduced it to my game, and it’s still rolling strong.

In the design of the Circa ’62 No. 1, Scotty Cameron has put together a ‘new’ classic. Based on the blades of yesteryear, the No. 1 combines that great classic look, with a soft (and very buttery feeling!) carbon steel putter head. The view of the putter from the top line is clean. No markings at all are found on the flange, all you’ll notice is a small alignment dot on the top. That’s it. And, during those bright and blindingly sunny days, there’s no worries of glare. A custom charcoal-mist finish knocks down any glare to keep your focus where it should be, on the putt.

Everything feels right when you lay the No. 1 down behind the ball. The head feels balanced, the grip is perfect, and a 3/4 offset feels ‘just right’ at address. At least, that’s my opinion.

Scotty Cameron assures that ALL putters in the Circa ’62 line have been optimized for perfect grip weight, headweight and shaft flex… and I can say from experience, this putter is a keeper. In fact, even though I’ve only hit the Circa ’62 No. 1, I’d hazard a guess that all models (there’s the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7) are just as smooth, buttery and responsive as the next. Trust me when I say if you’re looking for a putter that gives awesome feedback and a true roll… Look no further than the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 lineup.

Key specs on the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1:

Loft: 4 degrees

Lie: 71 degrees

Length: 35″ (RH)

Headweight: 330g

Swingweight: D4-D6

Head material: Soft Carbon Steel

Offset: 3/4 shaft

Of course, as with all Scotty Cameron’s you can have yours customized to your liking. To do so you can visit Scotty’s Custom Shop, for re-gripping, re-shafting, custom logos, initials, and a lot more.

Now, on to a small photo gallery. I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1!

The manufacturer of Titleist, the #1 ball in golf, Acushnet Company, just announced that they won a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in its golf ball patent dispute with Callaway Golf. Callaway had asserted that a previous generation of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls had infringed on four patents originally owned by Spalding and subsequently purchased by Callaway Golf. The jury agreed with Acushnet’s position that the patents in question are invalid.

Looks like the decision may finally put the dispute to rest.

Acushnet has explained throughout this process that they independently developed the technology in question. In fact, the Titleist Pro V1 family utilizes technology from 74 Acushnet patents and was first introduced to our PGA TOUR players in October 2000, well before any of the Spalding patents were issued in 2001 and 2003.

In January 2006, before Callaway filed this litigation, Acushnet petitioned the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) to reexamine the four patents in the suit. Since then, the PTO has repeatedly found that all claims of all four patents are invalid. During this process, seven separate PTO examiners were involved in evaluating the validity of these patents and all seven concluded that they are invalid.

By the way, Acushnet currently holds over 715 of the nearly 2,000 active patents related to golf balls – more than any other manufacturer.

I can speak to the playability and classic looks of the Titleist 909D3 Driver because… I own one. I purchased the 909D3 a few months back. Picked one up in 8.5 degrees, with the stock stiff Aldila Voodoo shaft.

The club is solid. At address, the look is classic. Perhaps that’s what I like most about Titleist clubs, the classic look and feel at setup. But there’s nothing classic about the way the ball flies off the clubhead. I’d call it explosive.

The 909D3 promises to deliver a low and deep ball flight, and yes, I can attest to this. No doubt the 8.5 degree loft I have on my bad boy is a big factor, but off the face the 909D3 is in a word, ‘boring’. The thing rockets low and hard off the clubface. If you play in windy conditions or simply prefer to keep things ‘low and slow’, the 909D3 is worth a look. There’s much more to it than that though…

I’ll let Titleist’s official description do it justice:

With a classic pear profile, deep face, and 440cc titanium construction, the Titleist 909D3 is a high performance driver delivering mid launch with low spin.

The 909D3 features a tour proven, modern profile that creates a low and deep CG for reduced spin, higher MOI, and longer, straighter drives. The classic pear shape with a smaller, deeper face enhances workability for shot and trajectory control.

The tuned sole of the 909D3 includes optimized pockets and an internal rib for reduced vibration, providing solid feel and better sound.

An integrated titanium blind bore hosel design saves weight, provides solid feel, and allows for more shaft options. The factory installed SureFit Swingweight Screw helps to position the CG deep while also providing a precise head to shaft match.

All in all, the 909D3 is one of the better drivers I’ve ever used. I prefer it in comparison to the similar 909D2, mostly because of the deeper profile. If you’ve got a set of blades in the bag, and prefer a classic look, the D3 could be a great fit for your arsenal. But be sure to get properly fitted for this one… as we all know proper loft, shaft, lie angle and club length should be tailored to your unique needs for optimal performance.